The Creationist
by Yuri Ishtar
Summary: It's the year 3100 A.D. -- 100 years after Neo Queen Serenity took power over planet Earth and all surrounding planets and nebulae. The Black Moon Clan has come and gone. However, the peace Crystal Tokyo achieved was only temporary.
1. Chapter 1

The Creationist _(Working Title)_

_--_

_Lesson 1: Cold water stimulates, strengthens and braces the nerves_

_--_

"I'll ask you not to use your interface ring. For your safety, it has been silenced. His Majesty will arrive soon." The steward's voice was cold. I could tell word of my imprisonment had gotten out, gossip overtaking the whole of the court in a flourish of pings and emails. The court was full of ninnies and simpletons.

I really hated all of this. I hastily slid my interface ring off my middle finger and threw it at the wall. The steward catches it in a one swift, adept and slightly inhuman move. "Most High, I'll ask you to not abuse government property." His voice was sour and smug, his lips turned into a scowl.

"I am the government!" I scream at him, my voice a high shriek as I stomp towards him. "If you don't let me out of this godforsaken cage, I swear by all that is under my power I'll have you banished!" The steward looks like he's about to wet his pants, his body shakes as I slowly back him into the nearest corner.

"Serenity, get off the poor boy." My husband. His voice is cold and menacing, almost annoyed. I grab my interface ring and back away from the ruddy-faced steward. Slowly, I turn to face my husband, my eyes narrowed in anger as I look at him.

The shock of how much he's changed knocks me momentarily breathless. He's aged. Small wrinkles crease the side of his eyes, his skin droops slightly. He's abandoned his lavender silk suits and taken to wearing the harsh regalia of the war generals. Even his staff is gone, now replaced with an antique gun, a Webley .38 caliber revolver. I could tell it was such as he'd taken to collecting them over the past few years.

"Why have you locked me up in my rooms like some criminal?" My voice comes out in a rasp. I turn away from him, my hair sweeping behind me, whipping him in the face as I pass. "You'll let me out. You've forgotten that this is my kingdom, my castle."

Endymion snorts as my words, as if I'm nothing more than a petulant child. A smile spreads across his lips as he approaches me. He dismisses his guard with a small, curt hand motion. No one remains in the room, even the greasy steward has left.

"My lovely wife..." He coos, a soft smile on his face as he grasps my right shoulder, his freehand strokes my hair. I look up at him, full of love. Maybe he was here to relinquish my sentence, and to mend our torn marriage. I waited for his words of remorse, sorrow, and embarrassment. I waited for him to say the words I so wished to speak, the words that sat upon my tongue. I wanted to tell him of the miracle that grew inside me... the new life that would forever bond us in matrimonial bliss.

Before I could even speak, an unspeakable pain blossoms across my left cheek. I stumble back a few feet, my face frozen in horror at my husband's actions. "You little bitch. Why didn't you tell me I have fathered another child?"

"You should have known! We used no protection that night." My voice wavered, hot tears spilled over my cheeks as I walked over to the bed and sat down. As if I hadn't been humiliated enough these past weeks, now it seemed as if my husband deemed me a whore for becoming pregnant with _his child._

"You will have it taken care of. One insolent child is enough." This is how he now referred to our daughter, the crown princess and heir to the throne.

Soul-mates. That's what we _are_. Since the beginning of time our souls had been mated, forever being reborn with one another. Nothing can sever us. This was the man I was fated to spend the rest of eternity with, countless life times we'd died and been reborn.

As he turned to leave, Endymion depressed a few of the buttons on the wall, each giving a distinctive ping in the process. "You won't be able to leave this room unless I will it. Enjoy the rest of your night, Your Grace."

The door slide closed with a slight whoosh of air, and the locks proceeded to secure it in a procession of tinks. He was finally gone, I let out my breath.

The tears came, held back for so long, they overtook me like never before. It'd been years since I'd last cried. My life had been _too _perfect until now. The calm before the storm, you could possibly say.

I'd lived in a flourish of parties and galas, diamonds and pearls, and the sense that my kingdom was complete and safe, that nothing and no one could possibly hurt me. What a stupid, incredulous fool I'd been.

Slowly, I pulled myself up from the group and onto the bed. The familiar, and once comforting smell of my husband still permeated the sheets. They now stunk like betrayal and lies. I snorted.

Lies.

_What a sack of shit._

I caught myself after that thought, a small but audible gasp escaping my mouth. I hadn't used such unladylike curses since I'd been _reborn_. Even when I was Sailor Moon, I'd rarely cursed. I'd left that to Makoto, and even Rei at times.

The thought of my ladies sent a rush of emotions through my body, my face flushed and my heart began to race, giving me the look and feeling of having taken many packets of calorie purgers. I was still in denial over my ladies' situations.

He'd banished Rei and Minako over _treason. _Ami and Makoto now sat on death row on Sol Invictus. The others... I shudder to think what has happened to the Planetary Guard. Setsuna, Michiru, Haruka... and poor little Hotaru. Images of my friends in suspended animation fill my head.

My heart feels like it's about to overflow, as if it's about to burst. Instantly a sheen of perspiration covers my skin, my heart still races and my head fills with pain. I slide down to the marble, it feel nice against my hot skin. The cool feel of the smooth stone...

"I hope you enjoy your night, Serenity. The cocktail should be taking effect about now. Goodnight, my love."

My husband's words fill the room and fade. Soon, I too, begin to fade into nothing. The world around me melts and fades to black. I let the comforting darkness wrap around me like comforting words from my long-dead mother, as if somehow she could save me from my reality.

--

This story, as you can tell, is highly incomplete and riddled with error and typos. However, I like what I've written, and will continue to add content and chapters frequently. I've written out the entire plot, and I know how it will end. I just need to write it out.

What I'd like from you all is your take on it. Good, bad? I liked it, I didn't like it? Leave a review as detailed or as minute as you like it. Any and all feedback IS HELPFUL.


	2. Chapter 2

The Creationist _(Working Title)_

_--_

_Lesson 2: There are few wives who do not heartily desire a child_

_--_

I slump over in the chair, my arms around my mid-section and begin to sob as if I were a teen wife again, one who'd lost her baby. Unintentionally, by mistake; as if it'd been a miscarriage brought on by domestic labor or a beating from a husband.

Except that this wasn't by mistake. It wasn't brought on through hard work; nor a beating from my husband. Although, what difference did it make? He might as well have beat me himself. Then, at least, I could pin the blame fully on him; the lost life of the angel that grew inside of me...

"What was it? I want to know." Tears pour down my cheeks, my voice is cracked and raspy. Slowly, I open my eyes. The glare of the harsh overhead lighting is too much, I squint as I try to make out the technician.

When I'm finally able to open my eyes, I see the technician is no more than a young girl, she too, is several weeks into a pregnancy. Her face is beautiful, but pain and sorrow mark her features, a grimace pulls her full lips down into a frown. "Most High -- I'm so sorry..." She begins, trailing as she looks down, one hand of her thin hands unconsciously drifts to the slight bulge on her abdomen.

Small tears form at the corners of her eyes. "It was a little girl. Most High, please forgive me." I let out a small cry at her words and slump back down onto the gurney. I pull my legs up to my chest, dig my head into them and let out the full force of my emotions.

The nameless, but very pregnant technician lets out a small cry of her own and wraps her arms around my defeated form. She's warm. Somehow I feel the small, new life kick inside of her. It brings me back into my own reality, back from the depths of my own despair and heartbreak. I won't be able to forgive Endymion.

Slowly the technician releases me, a sad smile on her face. I begin to pull at the white smock I'd been given to wear for the procedure, the coarseness off the cheap but sterile medical fabric scratches me skin. I long for the silks and soft cottons of my own clothes.

"Most High, your procedure it over. I would recommend returning to your apartments. And, perhaps, to eat something chocolate." Her voice is warm, affection and worry both create lines on her face. I give her a short nod and slowly push myself off the gurney.

I quickly leave the room. I don't even bother to grab my shoes, or to even clean myself up. The procedure itself was quick and clean, used only a small, concentrated laser. There was no blood. Not even a break in the skin.

I'd not yet fully composed myself as I walked down the hallway, my bare feet padding down the corridor, tears still streamed down my face. I moved my right hand to lay over my flat stomach, my left shielded my eyes from the bright lights above, tears, still, rolled down my cheeks.

In the span of a five minute procedure I'd been reduced to a sniveling, desperate teen girl again. Memories of my wedding flooded my head...

I'd been married more than one-hundred years ago, at the fresh age of seventeen. The ceremony had been the loveliest, most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And my husband... Oh, how I'd loved my husband. His face, the look on his face, when I first travelled down the alter, I'll never forget it. All of the love and adoration...

I'd gotten pregnant right away. This was joyous news, erupting throughout the kingdom. Technological advances had allowed me to stay in perfect prenatal health throughout each of my terms, even my delivery had been painless. My daughter, the love of my life, was perfect. My most precious memory of her as a baby was when she first grasped my finger.

I was, for lack of better words, the perfect, unassuming wife. I did my job with happiness, always filling my husband's wants and needs. I'd produced an heir. I'd never been unfaithful to Endymion, although it had been hard at times. Oh, yes, temptation _can _get the better of us. Woman, we're like that...

I'd walked for quite some time now, everything had began to look the same. That's how it was at Skylab's medical precinct. Everything from the glossy white enamel of the walls to the sterile carbon flooring was _white_. And not a lovely eggshell or cream, but the harsh bleached white of serious medical professionals.

Finally I'd reached the receptionist's desk. The woman behind it was dressed in the same color of the walls and flooring, her right eye covered with a small, translucent spectacle that constantly fed her new data. The look on her face turned sour as she took me in, her chin raising slightly as she assessed me.

"I've finished my procedure. Please, my clothing?" My tone was courteous, I did not demand my clothing nor make her submit to my command. Even though I could have had her banished just for the look she gave me.

"Most High, I'm afraid the Great One has forbidden your exit - " Her voice, oh, how I wished to slap the little bitch behind the glass and titanium partition. "You will go back to your holding unit until the Great One has authorized you to check out." The receptionist's tone is still affected, I wish to wrap the cord of her spectacle around her neck so that she might never again speak.

"I've tried to be nice. Now, give me my interface ring and my clothes or I shall have you banished!" My voice is shrill as I rake my nails over the smooth surface of the partition. The woman blanches and slowly slips my interface ring under the partition. However, my clothes does not follow.

"Where are my clothes?"

The woman looks down, her face still pallid from my earlier threat. "Most High, your clothes have been fed back into the recycler." She does not dare look up, for if she does, she knows she will sorely regret it.

"Fine. Check me out. I'm authorizing my own exit." The receptionist taps at the holographic keyboard of her station, the glass doors ahead of me finally part with the whoosh of air.

--

The music pulses around her body, flashing lights of blue and purple fill the room, illuminating it like the deepest reaches of the galaxy. Everyone from Preppies to Rasta kids and Burnouts were present, all drinking and sending pings to each other like there was no tomorrow.

In the past one hundred years Chibi-Usa had grown into the picture perfect young woman, an image of what every princess of the Lunar Court and Terran Alliance should be. She no longer held the look of a small child, but had gained several feet in height, her breasts had filled in and her face lost all traces of childhood fat.

"Hey, you bitch!" Chibi-Usa squealed as a girl in a green latex number spilled a toxic-looking drink all over her. The girl giggled stupidly as Chibi-Usa pushed her off of her, shoving her into the endless throng of people that swam around the bar in a mix of alcohol, dance, and pulsating trance music.

This was a typical weeknight at The Crescent, Chibi-Usa's favorite night club. The outrageously large crowd of people was unusually small tonight. On a good night you could barely make it too the bar, let alone find a seat and actually order something.

Helios, in the most stylish of outfits, sat next to Chibi-Usa, an affected look on his face. "Dear Heart, must we stay here? This music is awful, the alcohol is sure to be infected with _something. _You're already acting _utterly indecent._"

Helios looked utterly unlike himself, dressed in the garb of modern teen wastrels, or, as they were called socially, the Raver. His silvery hair had been tousled as if he had racked his fingers through it, giving him a 'fresh out of bed' and sexy 'slept-in' look. Chibi-Usa had fashioned his interface ring to holographically hide the golden accoutrement that remained permanently fixed to the crown of his head. However, the small red bindi on his forehead could not be hidden, and easily gave off his high rank to those who gazed upon him.

"Oh, please! You know you love it here..." Chibi-Usa purred as she slid her body around to fit inside his open legs. "You're only acting so... _proper _for my father. Who - " She trailed as she ran her fingers over his lips, "is not here at the moment." Her voice ended in a whisper as she crushed her lips down onto his, the music and the masses of people melting away.

Helios, ever the gentleman, slowly pushed Chibi-Usa away. "Dear Heart, you know if anyone saw us in such a compromising position, that it could mean my life. You know with all of your being that your father has eyes everywhere, and if he where to know of our romance that he would have me sent to Sol Invictus."

Just as he had finished his last word, his interface ring began to trill, indicating an incoming ping. With deliberate movements, Helios twisted the ring so that the ping played aloud.

_"Helios, I've been made aware of your treason."_ Endymion's words fill Chibi-Usa's and Helios' ears. Fear instantly overtakes Chibi-Usa, causing her to act impulsively and to shut the interface ring off.

"We have to get out of here." By this time Helios is silent, his face frozen in horror. Chibi-Usa grasps his arm and pulls him through the packs of people, each to busy to notice the looming terror that lay outside the walls of the night club.

As soon as Chibi-Usa and Helios exit the club, they are greeted by a group of Endymion's guard. Immediately, the leader of the group reads Helios' warrant from the transparent spectacle that cover his right eye. "Helios, Keeper of the Golden Crystal and High Priest to Elysion, you are under arrest by decree of the Great One. You have committed sins against the state, and shall be detained until further questioning."

After the last word is spoken, four men tackle Helios, pinning him the ground. They secure his arms behind his back with carbon locks, slowly pull him to his feet.

Chibi-Usa watches in fright, her eyes wide with fear and panic as she takes in the scene before her. "Your Royal Highness, please my soldier to escort you back to the compound. You are not safe here alone."

--

Okay... okay! Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews! I really, truly appreciate them. They are truly uplifting and inspiring! :) /hugs reviewers/


	3. Chapter 3

The Creationist _(Working Title)_

_--_

_Lesson 3: It is a wife's duty to make her husband's home happy_

_--_

My daughter's head lay on my lap, tears streak her perfect face. Her eyes are full of sadness and hurt. My husband truly has gone to far this time.

"Oh, Mama! Helios did nothing! It's all my fault!" She sobs harder, her tears stain the spider silk of my dressing gown, I do my best to comfort her. She's heartbroken. I know this feeling very well.

My fingers stroke her hair -- it's short now, bobbed to her chin. She's also changed the color, as is the way of modern teenagers. I don't approve of the color, a truly hideous mixture of blonde coloring with black roots and pink undertones. I'll never know what was going through Small Lady's mind when she was doing this.

"Oh, love... I'm so sorry." My words are of no use to her. She cries harder, balling her fists and wrinkling the fabric of my dress. Small Lady finally lifts her head, twin trails of dark mascara and eyeliner run down her face, staining my dress where she had lain her head before.

"Mom, you don't get it. This is SOO unhappy-making!"Small Lady quickly stands up, she's now in a huff over my lack of empathy. "Small Lady, please do not address me in such a manner." My words are curt, but I mean the best for my daughter. She needs to learn tact. It's not something she comes by easily.

Small Lady scrunches her nose up, giving herself a snotty look, as if I'd somehow insulted her, or as if there was a sour smell that perpetually surrounded her. "Mom, you know I mean no disrespect to you or father. But you know what he did to Helios, what he's done -- it's _wrong_. Helios is _innocent_. " She sniffs slightly, relaxing her features. I sigh and turn slowly move myself to face away from her.

"Daughter, I can't undo what your father, _the King_, has done. He's stripped me of my title." My words come out as a rasp, again tears threaten. "I'm afraid for you..." My voice is a whisper as I slowly turn my head to face Small Lady.

I take in my daughter's image, she's on her knees, tears pouring down her face again. She holds herself together as if she might fall apart at any second, like she would crumble if she let herself go. "Mom, there's gotta be some way we can stop him. There just has to be..." Her words, like her current state, are cracked and half-empty in promise. As I took her into my arms, it felt as if there was a hole in my chest. Like someone had punched me through, leaving me empty.

We stay like this for a long time, I don't know how long. She heaves even harder now that she's in my arms. I thoroughly understand her pain. I _loved_ her father. _Still do love_ her father. What on Earth, in all of Tokyo, could have made him go mad like this? Was it money? The stress of the monarchy? Or what if he'd been mentally unstable the entire time we'd been married? He'd always been feeble-minded, even when we fought next to each other as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen.

Now that I come to think of it, it was he who was attacked my every villain we'd ever faced. Queen Beryl had brainwashed him, taken him from me. Queen Nehellenia of the Dead Moon had also mentally attacked him, turning him against me with the shards of her mirror. Fiore had even used my husband for his own purposes.

The shock and sudden realization of my husband's poor mental health shook me to my core. As handsome, brave, and courageous as my husband was, and still is, his mental health is sorely in need of repair. If I could convince him how brain-missing all of this was, I could possibly persuade him to start a regime of purger pills.

Finally, Small Lady's tears subsided. "Mom, you do know that Dad has started drilling in the ground, right? He's become such a Rusty, I swear..." It seems as if she's rebounded back to her old self. My daughter... I love her so. But the love I feel for her cannot forgive her lack of tact.

It's amazing how quickly she recovers from a slight mental breakdown. She's left my embrace to mess with the hole in the wall. She tells the hole to spit out random bits of clothing, some of which I'd never let her wear outside of this room. My daughter, so good at hiding what's really in her heart.

_--_

_" _The west has great influence over the citizens. They've started these procedures called 'surges', most of which are illegal under our current laws." A stern female voice reads aloud from a prompt as it scrolls up her eyescreen.

The room was dark, the only source of light the illuminated wall screen as it flashes images of the new Crystal Tokyo, how drastically it's changed in the last one-hundred years. The source of the voice, a woman in a stern, spotless white Warden's uniform faces the room full of Endymion's chosen men and women.

The woman studies each of the faces that sat before her. All were middle pretties, with one exception: None had had the operation to implant lesions into their brains. Brazen, icy, and powerful, each person had been hand-selected by the king himself.

"Warden Junko, why have you paused? Your prompt continues but you do not." Endymion's velvety voice washes over Junko like a slap in the face, startling and cold.

"My apologies, Great One." Junko begins to tremble as she frantically twists and fumbles with her interface ring, whispering commands to her hovercam and looking generally frazzled.

"A-as you can see," More video footage of new pretties flashes on across the wall screen. Each of the pretties look bubbly and serenely stupid as they glide across the glass-smooth surface of the newly built Dragonfly Stadium ice rink. "Our residents are reacting well to the newly implemented laws." _Yes, perfectly happy to be clueless and bubbly. The way humanity is supposed to be..._

Endymion glared at Junko through, his eyescreen flickering and his eyes icy and cold. Slowly he leaned back into his chair, relaxing his booted feet onto the table as he took on a look of smugness that verged on egomaniacal insanity.

"This is all good and well, Great One. However, what shall we do about Her Highness?" One of the men, a middle pretty with a greying beard and sharp eyes addressed Endymion.

"Ahh... Warden Isao. This is my wife you speak of, watch what you say." Endymion spoke with a slightly comical and highly sarcastic tone as he pulled out the small antique handgun that had been fastened to the belt of his pants. He cocked his thick, dark eyebrow as he glanced at Junko, a smile on his face as he ran his fingers over the polished metal of the hilt.

"Warden Isao, what do you propose we do about my wife? You know very well she is the sole carrier of the Ginzuishou, and that she could easily overpower and army or assassin we send her way." Endymion continues to caress the gun lovingly, as if it were a child or a lap dog.

Isao cringes internally as he watches his King stroke the gun, fearing for both his life and the life of the female warden who spoke to the council. "This is our knowledge, yes. However, is her connection to the Ginzuishou not through her DNA? She is linked physically, mentally, and spiritually to that rock." He speaks deliberately, choosing his words wisely.

Endymion nodded. It was known throughout the council that Serenity had a _special_ inheritance. It was also known that her daughter, Small Lady, had inherited this stone as well, and the DNA to control it. The key was to isolate that gene and to destroy it.

"Warden Isao, you are my saviour. We shall have Serenity scrambled. Please, send my steward a ping."

--

Glorious. That is all I can say at the moment.

My life is _glorious_! Oh, dear Endymion has come to his senses. Forgiven me, let Helios out of prison, apologized profusely. I cannot stop crying from happiness.

I tell the hole in the wall that I wish to wear something utterly ravishing. Something in spider silk, perhaps with lots of embellishments and beadwork. Gold, too, should be involved in the design.

The result stuns me, it's the dress I wore as a princess in the Silver Millennium. The room tells me that it read the image from my mind. This scares me, but I sigh and run my hands over the fabric anyway.

The dress, although not the exact one I'd worn as a girl, was completely stunning. As my fingers lovingly caressed the material of the bodice, memories of my childhood flooded back. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. This was no time for memories, however nice they may be.

Slowly, I run my index and middle fingers over the beadwork of the sleeves and belt. I love the feel of the smooth, cool pearls; each of them is flawless.

"This isn't exactly what I wanted. It's a little old fashioned..." I drift off, slowly realizing that I'd have to feed it back into the recycler. Such a shame.

After many tries, the hole in the wall finally produced something worthwhile. The dress in question is a lovely cream, all lacy and flourishes. The kind of dress you had to wear a slip and chemise with, the kind that hugged your chest and bust so tight you though you might pass out from lack of oxygen.

By the time I finish dressing, I'm amazed at my beauty. Even for a middle pretty, I'm still quite youthful. My lips remain full and lush, my body is still fresh and tight as if I was a child bride again. There isn't a line to be seen on my skin.

My hair, however, has lost some of it's pigment. It was now silvery instead of the cornsilk I'd been born with. This, you see, was a side effect of using the Ginzuishou. I'd had to use my stone many times. Too many times, it would seem.

I take one last glance at myself in the smart matter mirror before I leave the room. _Truly glorious_.

As soon as my door slides open I'm greeted by Endymion and several of his wardens. The same greasy steward from the other day stands behind him, a wicked grin on his face. It seems I've been betrayed again.

"Oh, how did I know this was to happen?" I sigh dramatically, false words on my lips as a I fake a fainting spell. I expected to hit the ground and possibly pass, but the maintenance bot was too quick. It caught me before I could fall.

"Now is not the time for games, Serenity." My husband's word are truly a slap on the face. The truth finally settles in. They're going to ambush me, attempt to overthrow me and to take over the crown.

"I cede to your will, Husband." I snap at him, my voice is brittle and my brows knit together. I wish to see him throw from the top spire of this palace.

"I'm a fool. To think you might have come back to your senses..." My voice is a loud whisper as I stare down each of the wardens that begin to circle around me. The only female of the group approaches me, her thin fingers begin to tweak the outside of her interface ring. A small needle erupts from it's center.

"You know, dear wife, what Junko possesses. You know your options."

Yes, take the drug peacefully or be forcefully injected. Oh, dear husband, which do I prefer?

My eyes narrow as he offers me his hand, as if he's asking me to dance. Slowly I lay my palm on top of his, my finger nails digging into his flesh as Junko presses the pin into the webbing on my middle and ring fingers.

"You know you're going to hell for this, Endymion."

The world blacks out, slowly, fading as if I'm falling into a dream. My breathing stops, my heart soon follows. I crumple to the ground in a pile of cream spider silk and white taffeta.

--

Okay, so... what do you think? I know this story is on quite a few people's favorites/alerts. If you can put it on your list, then you can at least leave even a small review! Even if it's "cool" or "well done"! :)

Also, I'm looking for a beta reader. If you'd like more information, or like to volunteer for the monumental task, please don't hesitate to email me or leave a PM. You won't be without reward! :)

FYI: This story now joins the genre of "Crossover." It now leaks into Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies Series." I'll soon post a link with more information. :)


	4. Chapter 4

The Creationist _(Working Title)_

_---_

_Lesson 4, Part 1: Every womanly woman, who truly realizes her mission, desires to be a pleasant object of vision to her fellow creatures_

_---_

_The smell of fresh roses, all deep reds and pearly whites, perfectly pruned and arranged. I smile happily as I lean over to smell the petals of a crisp English rose, gently nuzzling the folds with my nose to get a better whiff of its gentle notes._

_I breathe in. Ahh, it's sheer heaven._

_Suddenly I'm no longer in my peaceful pleasure garden, but I'm wrapped in the warmth of the sun; cozy, safe, familiar. _

_I open my eyes, I'm overshadowed by the muscular bulk of my heart's desire. Endymion, dark and strong, smiles at me. I'm momentarily taken aback by the ruggedness of his good looks. I don't say a word; only release the rose and place my hand in his._

_Again I'm struck at how handsome he is, about how truly different we are in the way of looks. I take in the sight of my milky skin upon his golden tan. I seem a ghost in his presence. _

_He is a true tribute to his sun god, Apollo. Sunlight seemed to radiate from him, as if the god himself had taken Endymion's body. His glow warmed my heart. _

_He is the sun. Warm, good, giver of life. _

_I am the moon. Cold, cunning, and deadly. _

_Am I truly the viper my people say I am? I offer him a sweet smile as he brushes silvery tendrils of my hair behind my left ear. "Dear heart, are you ready?" His voice is sweet, almost saccharine in nature. He's too good to me. It hurts to look at him. _

_"Are you ready?"_

_I close my eyes. _

_Slowly, I open my eyes. I'm no longer basking in the warmth of my personal sun. It's as if I'm floating in a bubble, the infinite universe expanding all around me at light speed._

_"Am I... alone?"_

_I close my eyes again. Suddenly I'm enveloped in coolness of night. Even with my eyes closed I can feel my skin glowing with the radiance of the moon. A pair of arms wrap tenderly around my shoulders from behind. _

_"Daughter, oh, my little one..." A voice speaks to me; comforting, foreign, and somehow familiar. The woman pulls me close to her chest, instantly I take solace in her arms._

_"Your mind and body are only tools. Your heart, however, holds the key."_

_'What?' I ask myself as I attempt to turn around in her grasp. She holds me tight, her grip suddenly cold and iron-like. _

_"Daughter, remember these things: Your body is a temple. Your mind is the universe. Your heart is the seat of all things known. Chaos, my dear viper, lives in all of us..." _

_The woman drifts off, releasing me from her arms. I quickly move my body to look at where she had just been. There's nothing but stars and the faint glow of something to come._

_---_

I woke with a start, it felt as if someone had gone into my chest and sucked all the air out of my lungs. My eyes darted around in their sockets, searching for something familiar. Anything.

Slowly, I sat up. My body ached, every joint in my body, every muscle, every fiber of my being felt as if I had been beaten and then run over; or perhaps sucked into the lifters of someone's hover board.

My hands tremble as I bring them to my face, as I slowly run them over the length of my battered body. Purple and black dot my arms, legs, and the inside of my bare thighs. I feel as if I've been to hell and back.

I remember some things like the fact that I had no name. Some things I don't remember, like where I am. _Who am I?_

_---_

So... still looking for a beta here! :D *sporks*

I'm not sure to be sorry or not for the short chapter. I think not. The momentum of the story is starting to build now, and I hope you all like it! XD If not, sucks for you. :P

Remember, reviews and feedback equal LOVE!

Don't cha' just loves authors notes? :D

_- Nas_


	5. Chapter 5

The Creationist  
By Yuri Ishtar

_Lesson 5: To be delicate is considered by some ignorant people as an enviable distinction_

_

* * *

_

"Great One, this is what my technicians have been able to rescue and recreate, based on the artifacts preserved from the Rusty Era." Warden Junko, her voice ever somber and husky, presented a series of costumes to my husband.

Endymion, in all his stately glory, moved about the costumes with a renewed fascination. "So, this is the frippery the Sailor Senshi of the Rusty Era wore? It surely is no wonder how they were easily defeated in even the simplest of clashes." He ran his gloved fingers over the silken bodice of my third incarnation, Super Sailor Moon. Slowly he drew the tips of his fingers over the crimson red bow of my chest, the gilded heart-locket, the gold-infused Sailor collar. Memories from a distant life over came him in a torrent of emotion, his smooth face becoming wrinkled with anguish and lust.

'No! She will not do this to me! Her memory must be gone!' Endymion hastily withdrew his hand from my costume, and began to swat at all the displays.

"Be rid of this! All of it! No Special shall ever wear such a pretentious display of showiness!" His voice boomed, stirring fear in all who stood near enough to hear his cries of frustration and anger.

Junko let out a whimper as she watched the displays of ancient dress be thrown about like rags, sadness flooding her heart. My memory, being destroyed in such a manner.

* * *

I bite my lip in frustration, tears coming to my eyes. Why was it so hard to conjure up even one memory, one thought, one trace of who I was or where I had come from?

_Who am I?_

Like one of the dead who had recently gotten her body back, I ran my hand over the length of my forearm, noting the silky smoothness of the skin. The tone, too, was rather creamy and light in color. Not something I had seen around here in the past few hours. It seemed the local population was entirely beige in color, all deliciously tanned and caramel.

I, myself, was not.

My hair was longer than anyone I could think of, not that I could recall anyone in the first place. Long and flaxen, it was remarkably soft and ended at my calves. In the heat and humidity of the city, it was almost unbearable to keep this way. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind. Should I cut it? A hairstyle perhaps?

I had nothing on my person with the exception of the clothing I wore: simple denim trousers and a black cropped top; pieces hastily stolen from someone's line-drying laundry. On my feet I wore what seemed to cheap plastic thongs, these, too, stolen from someone. Who in their right mind would leave shoes outside their residence? It was beyond me, but oh well. Their loss.

Again I ran my fingers through my insanely long locks, my frustration mounting as the heat began to seep even deeper in my skin. A sheen of perspiration began to develop on my forehead as I walked slowly throughout the city blocks, trying my hardest to make sense of where I was, who I was.

Nothing seemed to jog my memory. Not the people who starred at me with what seemed to be a mixture of horror and slight interest, not the dank signs of shops and streets, not even the pathetic black cat that seemed to be following my every move.

While on the subject of the black cat… why was this creature tracking me like I was its next meal? The scrawny thing had been tailing me for at least two blocks now, trying to make it seem like it wasn't. Sneaky the beast wasn't, for it was obvious it had taken some interest in me, for whatever reason that may be.

Did I smell of food, perhaps?

And then it dawned on me, I hadn't completely forgotten the world around me. I knew what this thing was, this animal that had seemingly fallen in love with me. It was a small creature, a sad-looking thing with tufts of fur missing from its body, a chunk of one ear missing, one eye swollen shut with crust and puss.

Offensive to my eyes as it was, I felt deep in my heart for the poor thing. We where alike in appearance and station in life.

Missing but not missed.

I felt a pang in my heart as the cat became aware that I was onto it, the thing turned tail and hid behind an overturned trash receptacle. A soft smile spread over my dry, cracked lips as I took a seat on the curb of a long-forgotten street, feigned interest in the dead cuticles of my fingers. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as the little black cat slowly made its way over to me, began to sniff me out. I stood stock still as she continued to sniff, finally deciding I was worth its time.

Slowly I moved my hands to rest at my sides and drew my gaze to look down at the cat. I smiled at it and softly clicked my tongue, as if the thing would be attracted to such a sound.

"My, you are such a dirty thing…." My voice cracked as I reached out to pet the creature. As my hand neared the top of her head, she instinctly ducked out my reach in fear of being hit or worse. Another pang of sadness hit me deep in my heart. What had the thing been through to react to me in such a way? I was of no threat to her, and did not want to be a threat.

"Ohh…." My voice came out in a soft whisper as I felt my hand out, waiting for her to come to me. The cat, with her strange and shockingly stormy grey eyes, hesitantly sniffed out my waiting hand. Then with a strength that surprised me, she pushed her head up against my palm, as if beckoning me to stroke her. Instantly, my heart melted.

This small gesture was the only type of warmth I'd been shown in the past days, by human or animal alike. This animal, as forsaken and forlorn as she was, still had love and trust to show to me, a human. Tears pricked at the sides of my eyes, a smile was hard to keep. In an instant I had fallen in love with this creature, and she had fallen in love with me.

"Oh, little kitty…." Slowly I moved forward and took her in my arms, held her tiny flea-bitten body against my chest. What had I done to receive such a blessing from the Gods?

The still unnamed cat began to purr against my chest, had snuggled her head into the crook my neck. It was amazing that anything in this desolate city had any love to offer.

* * *

'You who have cast off the Goddess shall be punished!'

'You who have forsaken the protection of the Goddess shall be consumed by the Horned One!'

'You who have stolen from the Heavens the gift of light shall perish beneath the sands of time!'

'You -'

Endymion jerked away from a cold sleep. Every night now, for the past moon, he had had the same dream. Consumed by darkness, in the bowels of the Horned One, the same harsh shrieking series of female voices. All seemed familiar, even like a memory.

Endymion shot up in his bed, his breath labored and harsh, throat burning as he continued to breathe in the cold oxygen of his chambers. His dark hair fall across his forehead in tangles, his complexion even more pallid than it had been in past weeks.

With a frustrated sigh, he reached over for the pocket watch he kept at his side every night. Bitterness lined his face as he sat up and flipped the golden relic open, its sad twinkle of a tune playing out into the darkness of night. Memories as fresh and vivid as day flooded into his mind: a starlit twilight, a promise of love, a single sweet kiss stolen beneath the Heavens.

"Such foolishness…. Pining over something so artificial..." His voice was a growl as he snapped the locket shut and tossed it into the recycler, becoming sick over the grinding gears as the hidden machine consumed the charm.

"The Goddess may send all she has at me." Endymion spoke out into the darkness, his words both a threat and a statement of truth. The Goddess had given him nothing but a place on the thrown and no power of his own. Before this time, he himself had been nothing but an ornament for the great Neo Queen Serenity, an accessory to be worn in public. At her side all of eternity, a simple figure head, the masculine principle to balance that of the feminine. It had become so that she was the only one to have power, her thoughts and words ruling the entire kingdom.

His kingdom, his inheritance: the Earth.

Even if it had been her warmth that had woken the planet from its icy slumber, it was he who wore the crown of Elysian. It had been Elysian that had been the epicenter of the Earth, centuries ago. It was his blood that flowed through the people of Earth, the Earthlings of this planet.

But it had been Serenity who had stolen his birthright in the name of the Moon.

Endymion sat up in his bed, clapped his hands. Instantly the room was illuminated, his chief advisor, Warden Junko, entered the room with a renewed importance.

"Good Morning, Great One." She bowed deeply, lowering the tray she held in her hands with grace. Junko stood up right once more and approached the beside of Endymion, placed the titanium tray at the side of his bed.

"I took liberties with your meal, this morning. The cooks outdid themselves, if I do say so myself. Poached quail eggs from New Spain, black berries from Diego, sweet nectar from the southlands of Crystal Tokyo, and hydra-sweetened water from our own cellars." Her tone was slightly envious as she bowed once more, and then took a seat at his desk.

Endymion nodded his head in acceptance as he began to break his fast, plucked one of the black berries from the tray and popped it into his mouth. Instantly its intense sweetness filled his mouth. He savored its flavor as he began to speak. "It's been one moon since Serenity has been scrambled. Do we have intelligence as to her whereabouts?"

Junko's face remained stoic as she began to mess with her interface ring, the single spectacle on her face feeding her data. After a few seconds, she spoke: "Wardens to the north of the city have spotted her, but have done nothing to stop her. Their reports indicated that she has stolen clothing, befriended a stray animal, and has taken shelter in an Indo-Brazilian refugee camp. Other than this, I have no information to give you, Great One."

"Indo-Brazilian refugee camp? It seems the Goddess has fallen far." Endymion let out a chuckle as he continued his meal, sipping at the sweet nectar now.

A small smile found its way to Junko's lips as she deactivated her interface ring and looked to Endymion. "Have you decided yet, Great One? Who shall become the next Queen?"

At this Endymion's laugh became infected with disdain. "You think I shall take another Queen! Junko, you are quite the comic!"

"I shall not take another Queen. This is no longer a Queendom, Junko. That period of this era is over, and shall never occur again. I shall have a son to rule in my place after my transition to the Summerlands. My daughter will not become Queen. She will remain in holding until I can find a proper husband for her, perhaps the King of New Spain? I hear he needs another wife, he has yet to have a son. Perhaps this girl-child of mine will give him one."

* * *

'_Luna! My name is Luna… why can't you see that, Serenity? Have you truly forgotten me?' _

Soft-spoken words filled my head as I suddenly jerked awake, air filling my lungs as I sat up in my tent. It was only early morning, yet humid heat had already filled my tent. I threw my sleeping bag off, taking instant pleasure in the coolness that floods over my sweaty legs.

"Hey, _Lawan_, you need to help with the wash. Before _someone_ complains!" Malee, one of the female refugees I'd befriended, calls out to me from outside my shelter.

I snicker under my breath. _Lawan. _The name the group of refugees had given me, upon taking me in. I hadn't the slightest clue what it meant, but Malee, one of the few Japanese speaking on the group, had explained to me that it meant "most beautiful" or "lovely one" in Thai. So, the entire of the camp had taken to calling me it. _Lawan._ It sounded nice on the tongue, rolled easily in speech. But somehow it didn't sound right. It was what I was known as, but it still didn't quite feel like me.

Rolling my eyes at my friend as she began to shake my tent, I zipped open the entrance of my shelter and stepped out, my little black feline following my every step. After days of deliberating, Malee and I had decided to call the cat "Moon", for her storm cloud-like eyes; large, rounded silver feline eyes that reminded us of the great shining orb in the night sky.

* * *

A/N:

I'm surprised this chapter has taken me so long to complete…. I've gone through several drafts, but nothing quite felt right to me. So I just sat down today and stated to type. I didn't see the story go this way at all, but it just did. I'm interested to see how this one will turn out.

Also, I've started the prologue to this saga, Book One: Twice Born. I haven't even got a review on it yet, but it is posted on my profile page, so please, check it out and leave a critic/review if you would. =]

Some terms used in this story seem to be confusing some of the readers. To clear up and confusion, here is a terminology guide to use.

_**Recycler:**_ a device in every bedroom of Crystal Tokyo. It is used to create outfits from various fibers and compounds recycled throughout the Recycler Network of the city. Think of it as a "dream closet". It is hooked up to the user's interface ring and mainframe computer of the household in which it resides.

_**Interface Ring:**_ a holographic device that is worn on any finger of the hand, with the exception of the thumb. It is a miniature computer that the wearer can use to access the World Information Network to check Pings, Video Feeds, and other data.

_**Ping:**_ think of it as a smaller, more advanced form of an email. Can be sent with a mental thought or manually through an interface ring.

_**Goddess:**_ Deity the people of Crystal Tokyo worship. Her chosen human incarnate is said to be Neo Queen Serenity. Others say the Goddess herself is really just the Ginzuishou. Others speculate the Goddess is simply the Queen. No one is quite if she exists or not, but they still pay supplication to her.

_**Horned One:**_ The male counterpart of the Goddess. His roots stem from the time of Elysian, when darkness swept the land and sent the Earth into the latest ice age. To be consumed by the Horned One refers to be damned.


	6. Chapter 6

The Creationist  
By Yuri Ishtar

Lesson 6: The duty of girls is to be neat and tidy

* * *

Small Lady bit her bottom lip as hot tears rolled down her cheeks, her face red with sadness as she sat on the floor of her chambers, the holographic image of her lover in chains fizzing on the wall screen before her. She gazed wearily at the image, anguish overtaking her once more. Another scream of horror left her as she beat her fists against the polished wood flooring, kneeled before the screen as if in supplication, and implored her father to release her soul mate. No words passed her lips.

"Helios!" Her voice was a broken cry of terror, fear, and denial.

"Helios! Pegasus! Answer me!" Her screams reverberated throughout her chambers and the halls. Still bowed before the wall screen, Small Lady continued to beat her fists against the floor, tears still spilling from her eyes.

The female Warden posted outside her door cringed at the sounds of her ward's hysterics, sadness taking her heart prisoner. The Great One had forbidden her from letting the Princess out of her chambers, but had give permission to let Small Lady gaze upon her lover in prison, his body lifeless and in chains.

Small Lady continued to sob, not daring to look back to the screen. Maybe if she stayed this way for a while, the image would fade, would go away. Perhaps this was all a sick nightmare; something conjured by too many nights of club drugs and alcohol. Helios had warned her of the exotic pills, yet she couldn't keep away. They made her float above herself, gave her a feeling of warm euphoria and heightened her senses. They numbed the pain of being the princess, took away her reality for a few hours. He had warned her, but she had ignored his quiet advice.

And now she was a prisoner in her gilded cage, and he was _asleep._

She could barely breathe as she sat up, again his image invading here mind. Another wave of denial and sickness took her, her lunch coming up and spilling onto the floor. "Yui..." Her voice was a soft whimper for help as she crawled to her bed, rested her shaking body against the silk sheets.

The female Warden outside her chambers opened the sliding door, the blockade parting with a whoosh. Yui, the Warden assigned to make sure Small Lady stayed a prisoner, ran to her side. "Small Lady…." Her voice was a concerned whisper as she hefted the Princess up off the floor and onto the bed, wiped the bile from the side of her face with the bed sheet.

'What kind of father could do this to his child?' Yui thought with venom as she wrapped her arms around the dazed young woman, smoothed her hair from her face.

"Puu…." Small Lady moaned as she wrapped her arms around the woman's neck and buried her face in her chest, finding comfort. Tears pricked at the Warden's eyes. Yes. She knew.

"Sshh…." The woman cooed as she rocked Small Lady in her arms. Even in her state, shocked and stunned into a frightened sickness, Small Lady knew. Setsuna, henceforth now known as Yui the Warden, held Small Lady tight. Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time, rocked and rocked the young woman until she slept.

* * *

How incredibly beautiful and unearthly they were. He gazed once more into the singular displays, each artifact within them glowing with a celestial power. Inside one of the displays was a carved crystal, one of silver color, one that refracted every color of the rainbow when light shown through it. It seemed to have a life of its own, as it continued to change shape every few moments.

At the moment, it had taken on the appearance of a lotus flower, its color a pale lavender, its reflection becoming opaque as Endymion still circled the display. Within seconds it changed structure and shifted into what looked to be a large, Marquise-cut diamond. With this change of shape too came a change in color, it was now back to a silvery moon color, had gone back to refracting the rainbow.

"How remarkable…." Endymion mused as he hovered a hand over the stone, a charge of electricity shooting into his body. He let out a shocked cry of pain and stumbled back a few paces from the rock.

"Even still with her DNA scrambled, it won't let me in. I can't touch it…." His voice was slightly broken as he again approached the crystal, his gaze slightly fogged as he continued to look at it.

Junko stood a few feet from him, her gaze steely as she watched him try and handle the crystal again. Was he stupid? Of course he could not touch it, such a sacred relic. Only the Queen herself could lay hands to it.

"Junko, as you know… we've isolated the gene Serenity had inherited, the very one used to control this stone…" Endymion trailed. Junko looked at him, trying to hide the shock she felt at his words.

"It is possible to control the Ginzuishou without the birthright. Perhaps you'd like the opportunity?"

Junko balked at his words, her body becoming frozen. Her eyes shifted from his face to gaze upon the sweet glow of the stone within the holographic display. Her? Wield the stone? Was it even possible?

"I…." Was all she could muster, her body still frozen in shock.

"Very well! The stone is yours." A smile crossed Endymion's lips as he snapped his fingers. Two uniformed men came into the room and guided Junko out.

As soon as the woman had been escorted out, Endymion's smile melted away into a look of disdain. Even within the warm light of the Ginzuishou, he felt nothing for the Queen.

'Goddess? Pah. What fool would believe Serenity was her incarnation come to Earth? Junko could very well be just as likely to be able to use this rock.'

* * *

Malee and I laughed as we lugged the strange mixture of dining things to the community tap. It was now midmorning; the whole of the camp had awakened and started their chores for the morning. This was how it always went, since I had arrived here. Things had quickly fallen into the same dull routine, day after day. The leader of the camp had assigned Malee and I to dish detail, and every day was the same as the last.

But I couldn't complain, had nothing to complain of. The work was hard, yes, but was no less enjoyable. With Malee even the most of mundane tasks could turn into a party.

Slowly, things had come back to me. Things like the taste of curry chicken, on the rare occasions that we were able to eat it. Things like language, which I spoke Japanese and what little Thai I had picked up from the other refugees. Also the fact that I was pale-skinned and light-haired. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to gaze upon myself in Malee's cracked hand mirror. My appearance shocked me more than anyone else.

High cheek bones and milky skin framed my face, golden brows arched above my deep blue eyes, completed by a delicate nose and full, lush pink lips. My hair, still the length I'd been found with, now rested in a long plait down my back. Malee said I had a regal look about me, like I should have been born a Queen, or perhaps, a Goddess. I laughed when she had said this. Me? A Queen or Goddess?

Silly in every sense of the word.

"The King has ordered our removal from the area, Lawan. Did you hear about that?" Fear lined Malee's face as we set the dishes onto the cracked pavement. My smile melted into a frown as I looked at her and mentally processed the news.

"…is this gossip? Or is this truly happening?" Disbelief colored my voice. What kind of ruler would demand the extraction of those who had come to seek refuge in his land? A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of him. He must be ugly, I though. A man with cruel features and an ugly face. Even from Malee's natter I could feel that he was a dreadful man, unattractive in the physical and repulsive in the spiritual.

I tried my hardest to dismiss this chaotic mixture of thoughts, as such negativity was sure to cloud my judgment and connection to the Goddess. The Goddess. Oh, such peace I'd found through the Goddess. It had only taken one moon for Malee and the other refugees to introduce me to the Goddess. She was their guardian, their Lady of Light.

It was through prayer and supplication to this Goddess, a woman of many names, that I'd found stability in my life. It had been spirituality that I had been missing, and it was through this belief that I found tranquility within my heart.

"The whole camp has been talking about it for days? How could you have not noticed?" Malee asked in disbelief as she bent down and took hold of several mismatched plastic cups and began to scrub them under the running tap.

"I've just completely my initiation, Malee. You know that. My mind has been filled with nothing but Her." I retort, my words weak as I, too, begin to wash the haphazardly piled dishes. Malee, for as beautiful and lovely as she was, could be completely out of line when it came to her train of thought.

"Oh… yes! I'm sorry. I'd forgotten. You're a priestess now. And within only one moon…. You are so lucky to have the Sight, Lawan."

Lucky? I scoffed at her internally as I said nothing and continued to wash. The Sight was the ability to see events before the happened, either through thoughts or through dreams. Had you been born with the Sight, you had better hope it was through controlled thoughts, drawn to you by your own will. However, if the Goddess should look upon you with interest, she would 'gift' you with the Sight – but in dreams. And the dreams where never that of peace. The dreams she sent me where always horrid, violent things no pure soul should ever witness.

Every night for the past moon I would wake with no air in my lungs and fear in my heart. Fear was something I had no known fully until my first dream. A woman's voiced accompanied by a dark-haired man covered in blood, a sword through his chest, half his head missing, and a group of shadowed figures. The figures, which I presumed to be women, spat upon the dead man's body and laughed at him. It was clear that the man had done something wicked, but something inside me felt for him. He seemed, even in his gruesome state, to call out to me, as if to ask me for help.

I told no one of these visions. Even in dreams, they seemed to be a secret, only for me know.

"Did you also know that there is talk that the Queen has gone missing? I think that he murdered her, he did. I heard two of the Wardens whispering about it. They say he stole her light. Whatever that means…."

It was as if the very air had been stolen from my lungs, as if my throat closed, had been swollen shut. My pupils dilated, my reflexes going soft, I dropped the hard plastic bowls that had been in my hands only moments earlier. The bowls crashed onto the pavement with a loud crack, shattering and splintering, plastic shards going everywhere. Malee stumbled back a few steps, the dishes she took held falling to the pavement.

The gaps within my memories began to fill, things I forgotten, things lost to me. And then I was me.

"…Lawan? Are you okay?"

Back to my current reality, I took in the mess I had unintentionally made. "I… Yes. I had a sudden jolt of pain in my back…."

* * *

Endymion sat, still, in front of the display holding Serenity's legendary inheritance. For hours he'd been enraptured by it's warm, comforting light, had basked in its glow like a sinner looking to repent. Hours ago Junko had been sent away to the medical precinct of Sky Lab, her internal structure being destroyed and reassembled.

With a sudden whoosh of the computerized doors, the men who had taken Junko away reemerged, a shared frown between them. Endymion stood to address them, his hopes high for the experiment.

"So, it was a success?" He asked, his voice flavored with intrigue.

The men shared a look of defeat between them. With a sigh, one of them began to speak, "Great One, the female Warden did not survive the genetic replacements. She was stable for only a minute before her heart began to fail. The link between her body and the Ginzuishou had been established, but it _had not accepted her_. Her _**heart exploded in her chest**_ before we could even finish the procedure."


	7. Chapter 7

The Creationist  
By Yuri Ishtar

Lesson 7: Happiness and virtue alike lie in action

September. This day, like every other day of the past few weeks, is unrelenting with its heat and humidity. I lay on my back, shoulders and back stuck with grains of sand, the heat of the sun boring into me with no relief. A smile graces my lips, I feel like I'm in heaven. The smell of salt and the squawk of the Gull s lulls me into a sort of sleepy trance…. My eyes half-lidded with lethargy; a good lethargy, the kind that comes after a great adventure or at the end of a happy and fulfilling life.

The sun is so bright I can hardly open my eyes, so I just keep them closed. This joy isn't something I've often felt in the past few years… the joy of being _free_.

Someone calls my name, a woman with a strong tone and a smooth sound. My name rolls off her tongue with a sweet familiarity, like she was a sister or a close friend. She calls my name again, this time with more urgency.

"_Serenity…!"_

The sun melts away into a pool of red and orange, the sand beneath me becomes a thousand swords at my back, my breath leaves my chest.

I can't breathe!

Terror fills my heart, my body becomes stiff and rigid, unable to move or even speak. Fear unlike anything I've ever known takes over me, consumes and drowns me in panic.

"_Serenity… do not fear it. Embrace it. Let it enter your heart…" _The same familiar voice penetrates my mind. Still speechless, I close my eyes and let myself drift into the colorless void of the unknown. The pain at my back subsides, the sun has set. Air fills my lungs.

"_My, my… was that so hard, my little one?" _ She speaks to me again, a playful lilt coloring her tone.

Eyes still closed, I continue to drift until I feel the wet softness of dewy grass under my toes. Before I could open my eyes, the silk of a dress caresses my body, billowing at my ankles as a gentle breeze sweeps over me. The thick smoke of incense drifts through the air, heavily scented with what I presumed to be patchouli and myrrh.

I finally open my eyes, the glare of the setting sun too much for me to handle all at once. I turn away from the sun, its rays at my back. In front of me stands a woman more beautiful than words could say – blue-black hair knotted into the braids of ancient Nubians, a silver and gold beaded lapis band fastened around her forehead, numerous exotically colored and heavy-looking bangles hung from her slightly boney wrists; a semi-translucent robe of pale gold draped about her slim body, she had the look of what I thought to be an ancient Egyptian queen. But that was silly now, wasn't it?

I said nothing, only looked down at my own dress, glad to see it wasn't nearly as _sheer_ as the one the woman in front of me wore. I looked up at her, raising an eyebrow in question, my lips parted to speak. Before words could leave my lips, she interrupted me.

"_Does my clothing bother you? Ahh… it might. Your century is so… boring."_

Before I could say another word, she disappeared into a glittering haze of patchouli and myrrh. A sigh escaped my lips as I rolled my eyes and turned toward the setting sun. What was all of this? A dream?

_Was I even alive…?_

"Oh, yes, little one… you are very much alive."

I turn around swiftly, my long hair sweeping behind me. The woman is no longer dressed in gold and hues of green and blue, her hair no longer dark. In front of me stands someone who looks completely different; her hair no longer stick-straight and black, instead falling down her back in pale curls the color of moonlight, a robe of pure white silk tied around her body and secured at her waist with a silver cord. Her eyes, a penetrating yet lovely honey color, are locked on me as a smile makes its way to her lips.

"How…? How did you know what-?" I trail, finding it hard to connect one word with the next. "I… _who are you_?"

She let out a giddy laugh as she stroked the glossy white feathers of the falcon that perched itself on her thickly-gloved and outstretched hand.

"_Who am I? Oh, you know me…. You've known me your entire life. Well, all of your lives, actually. Daughter, you know who I am… my dear little one…"_ Her voice is a loving coo as she nuzzles the falcon against her face, the bird in turn closing its eyes and cooing at her in return.

Still unable to speak, I open my mouth slightly, as if to will the words to speak themselves. I close my eyes and bow my head, my frustration sky rocketing._ Who in all of the Heavens was this woman?_

I look back up at her and give an unconvinced smile, having decided to just go with whatever the woman said. All of this had to be a fever dream anyway. What with the bird and clothing and whatnot.

Another giggle leaves her smiling lips as she raises her arm and lets the falcon fly off into the heavens. _"He'll be back. Once he's hungry, that is."_

I say nothing, simply smile and appear to be comfortable where I stood.

"_Oh, Serenity, don't act so… polite. If you really haven't yet remembered who I am, please, say so. This act of false manners will get you nowhere, believe me."_

The smile fades from my lips and I drop my façade of manners and decorum. "Who the hell are you? I honestly can't place you, let alone remember your name. And where are we? It surely can't be the Moon Kingdom, nor Elysion. It can't be my kingdom either."

The still unnamed woman took a few steps toward me, a kind smile sat upon her face. With the boldness I could never muster, she wrapped her arms around me and held me to her like I was a long-lost family member, one who hadn't bothered to call or write in many years; like I was someone loved and long lost, finally found and able to be held again.

"_I've been called many things. Tiye. Jahanara. Boudicca. Cleopatra. Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. But in our lifetime I was merely Serenity, High Queen of the Silver Millennium. I have seen many lives and many lands. You ask who I am? I am the one who gave man darkness, the one who gave them hope. Like the Heavens which I ruled high over, I am both the light and the dark. Serenity, my daughter, I am both justice and injustice."_

Stunned into silence, I too wrapped my arms around her. I held her tight, the smell of roses and lavender filling my nose. A fever dream, this had to be all a dream. Perhaps I'd come down with something from my stay with the other refugees. This dream had to be a product of food poisoning or something. It was too eerie and too surreal to be anything else but something brought on by delirium.

"Justice and Injustice. I see. So… you are Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium? I find this impossible to believe, seeing as my mother was known only for her mercy and kindness. Never had she once in her life been the death of anyone, nor had she ever waged war. My mother, Serenity of the Moon, was a goddess of peace and love, the keeper of the Ginzuishou."

My words are harsh and unbelieving as I let go of her and force her from me. I take a few steps back, take in all of the woman who stood before me. The smile never fades from her lips, only grows wider, as if she is amused by my words.

"_I see Luna has embellished quite a bit. Artemis, too. Shame. I would have expected more from them. Serenity, as a Queen, you too must know that not all in life is good. You've been to the edge of the Universe and back. You've battled Chaos and won. You've died only to be reborn. As a Queen, you surely can't believe I never once encountered the need to defend myself and my Queendom? For what other reason does the Ginzuishou exist? It is the pure heart of the Moon, loving and kind, but also dark and cunning._"

Her words are like a slap on the face, they bring me back to whatever reality this was. This woman was right, despite whoever she claimed to be. Life was filled with both good and evil, and it was respective at that. What was good for my kingdom and planet led to the pain and suffering of others, even death if needed. I knew I would defend my kingdom and daughter to my last breath. Silly of me to even for one second think my mother was a simple-minded woman with no problems what so ever.

Queen Serenity's smile saddened as she wrapped me in her arms once more. Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes. The state of my kingdom was on my shoulders. I should have seen with clearer eyes, seen the darkness that had loomed over the horizon like a storm cloud. It had been my choice to be with Endymion in our past lives, had been my choice to stand by his side as Usagi Tsukino, had been my choice to take his hand and become his Queen and wife in this life.

My mother's voice came in a sweet whisper as she spoke to me, _"It broke my heart to give him to you like I did, to promise your hand to the Macedonian king. My kingdom was crumbling at the foundation, my subjects unhappy and the treasuries emptied of gold. I had failed to see that my own high priestess had turned against me. I was so content with what I wanted to believe that I was __**blind to the betrayal that was happening right before my eyes**__."_

x-x-x-x-x

With a jolt he was awake, his breath caught in his chest. King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo bolted upright in his bed, his body feverish. A slight chill overtook him as he sat there in silence for a few moments, taking time to remember the nightmare that had caused him to lose his breath.

Slowly it all began to sink in, what he had done, what he had managed to achieve. Crystal Tokyo was no longer a Queendom, but rather a Kingdom now; _his Kingdom_, his crowning glory. A smug smile found its way to his face as he flung the silk sheets from over his body and stepped out of bed, slid his feet into his slippers and tied his robe tight about his waist.

He was finally a single monarch, had to answer to no one.

And it never felt _so good_.

x-x-x-x-x

By this point it was late September, at the peak of Autumn. Heat unlike anything I'd felt all summer had descended upon the whole of Crystal Tokyo, turning the modern metropolis into a simmer pot of sweat and anger.

My feet ached, my shoulders felt perpetually sore; my lips were dry and cracked. Yet I paid no attention to these things, my mind permanently fixated on the dream from a few weeks ago.

That world – the world in which my mother had stolen and delivered me unto – was a world I wanted to visit again.

x-x-x-x-x


End file.
